CYCA / Ray Kingsmith

The CYCA/Ray Kingsmith Memorial Bonspiel event is held over 3 days typically during Christmas break and is open to junior and senior high school age curlers.

OVERVIEW

Ray Kingsmith dedicated his life to the sport of curling, and had a dream of seeing it become an official Olympic Sport one day. On May 3, 1988, Ray passed away from cancer, just a few short months after chairing the demonstration sport of Curling at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Though he was never to see his dream become a reality, the work he did toward that dream was certainly instrumental in curling becoming a full medal sport in 1998 in Nagano, Japan.

After Rays death, friends and family got together to ensure his memory would live on and that a legacy to his love to curling, especially for youth, be established. In June of 1989 the first Ray Kingsmith Memorial Golf Tournament was held at the Highwood Golf and Country Club in High River. Proceeds from this event went to establishing the Ray Kingsmith High School Memorial Bonspiel, held every year between Christmas and New Years. The inaugural bonspiel was held in 1990 and every year since that time, junior high and high school students from around the province (and from outside Alberta) have competed for post secondary scholarships, awarded each year to both the male and female champions.

Ray’s memory continues to live on in this and other memorial events established throughout Canada. He was a firm believer in hard work and commitment, and that a sense of humour was critical to survival. More importantly however, he believed that no matter what sport you were involved in, you must win with humility and lose with dignity and that is what he wanted everyone to remember.